[TYPO3-UG US] This is just about perfect...

[Jennifer Lynch]

Believe me, we can do better than News Forge in our sleep.  And I've got to
disagree with the assertion that if we don't get further than their first
page it won't matter.  Yes, the first impression is important, but what will
make the site really successful and worthwhile will be the content it leads
to and how easy it is to find.  The marketing is extremely important, but
people are going to be looking for coherent, cogent, and easy to grok
support to make their final decision to try TYPO3 or to continue using it.

Michelle's architecture gives us a fantastic head start on accomplishing
that task, and in my opinion, it compares to News Forge and Alfresco's
navigation links like a skyscraper to a tenement shack.

It's our job to make the content as clear and concise as the architecture.
I'd like to encourage everyone on the list to take a look at the
architecture 
(http://test.typo3.us/fileadmin/typo3us/template/architecture/TYPO3_US.doc
 or the roadmap), pick your page(s) to write up and get this site built.  If
you have an implemented site in one of the Solutions categories, check out
the Solutions section for a category that fits and write up a landing page (
format at: 
http://test.typo3.us/fileadmin/typo3us/template/architecture/educationsoluti
on.pdf 
 ) and/or a case study (see the format under the Customers Section category
of the Roadmap found at http://test.typo3.us/). The formats make this a far
easier task than you might think  . If you've used the any of the products
listed, pull up Michelle's format and fill in the blanks for that product.
For the Support section, sign up to do a Flash tutorial, donate a template,
send in a tip or trick you find useful, work on some documentation.  This is
a project that has something for everyone to contribute to.  The more people
we have on the team, the quicker we get it done and the better it will be.

And besides, who wouldn¹t like the chance to win an iPod Shuffle with a T3
paint job????  

Jennifer





On 11/1/05 4:58 PM, "Gabriel Anast" <gabriel at anast.org> wrote:

> I know these guys have funding, but they did one hell of a good job:
> 
> Press Release on News Forge by 'anonymous' (poorly written I might add):
> 
> http://www.newsforge.com/newsvac/05/11/01/1452238.shtml
> 
> Website (simple, colorful, their logo looks like something natural...
> not like a bullet (!?), and that list of topics in the navigation links
> is about as good as it gets):
> 
> http://www.alfresco.org/
> 
> Now I am not saying that they are a competitive offering, just that they
> have marketing down... if none of us ever makes it farther than their
> first page, I don't think it will matter, but that first page, and that
> press release... that is what we NEED to do for TYPO3.
> 
> Look down the page in the green NEWS box... these guys are the press
> release masters... Press Releases (and b2b conferences) are how middle
> managers and PHB's find out about... well, anything. They do not browse
> Source Forge,  Fresh Meat, or Slashdot... and they do not care about
> anything they cannot get a brochure or multi-page color ad about in the
> mail. AND... these guys control millions of dollars. Millions. I know. I
> WAS one for a couple years (what a nightmare!). I didn't control
> millions, but I did make the decision to buy a new accounting package
> ($40,000 + $3500/year) for a $10M company that I worked for.
> 
> By the way, it looks to me that they ripped off the TYPO3 colors...
> what's up with that? Not only that, but they did a very nice job with
> them...
> 
> --gabe